The present invention relates to a drawing tool organizer, in particular a drawing tool organizer adapted to hold a variety of drawing tools in separate units which units may be releasably secured one to the other and clamped to a drawing table.
Drawing or drafting, of course, requires a wide variety of tools including numerous different pens and pencils, erasers, tape, templates, squares and triangles, bottles of ink and other drafting solutions, and many other implements too numerous to list herein. Drawing or drafting tables typically consist of a large slanted surface having few if any places to store or place the drawing tools. Because the drawing or drafting table is typically slanted, placing a pen, pencil or other implement on the table itself is impractical as the implement will simply roll or slide off. Occasionally trays or boxes are placed adjacent to the table, however, the drawing or drafting tools generally wind up in a clutter in such tray or box rendering efficient finding of a particular implement virtually possible. Moreover, drawing or drafting tools are typically sensitive, delicate instruments which are damaged or easily scarred by simply tossing such implements in a tray or box.
Consequently, the art has long needed an organizer capable of holding the wide variety of drawing tools needed in typical drafting operations, and to present those drawing tools in an arrangement and format such that their selection and use is efficient. Such an organizer must be capable of being releasably secured to a drafting table such that the tools are in a convenient place for use.
Additionally, differing drafting or drawing operations require different varieties of drafting tools. A single organizer having a place to store the whole variety of drawing or drafting tools available would result in an organizer covering a substantial portion of the drafting table and would be impractical.
Furthermore, different draftsmen prefer their tools located in different arrangements, and a single organizer containing set storage places would not satisfy those needs.
Numerous organizers and holders have been suggested in the past such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. D-165,645 to Fretz, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. D-183,031 to Tarte, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. D-183,053 to Lindemann et al.; U.S. Pat. No. D-202,393 to Wallerstein et al.; U.S. Pat. No. D-239,334 to Lowenstein; and U.S. Pat. No. D-184,610 to Doman. None, however, offer the unique features and advantages of the present invention, and, in particular, none provide a means for joining multiple units together wherein each unit is specially adapted to hold and display particular tools.